H-1B Visa Fraud Allegations: US Economist Claims Chennai Received 220,000 Visas Despite 85,000 National Cap

Chennai Got 220,000 H-1B Visas: US Economist's "Fraud" Allegation

The H-1B visa program in the United States is facing fresh scrutiny after economist Dave Brat, a former US Representative, leveled serious allegations of fraud against the system. Brat claimed that Chennai district in India received 220,000 H-1B visas, which is more than 2.5 times the national cap of 85,000 visas.

During a podcast appearance, Brat asserted that the H-1B system has been "captured by industrial-scale fraud," with visa allocations significantly exceeding the statutory limits set by Congress. He emphasized that 71 percent of all H-1B visas are granted to Indian nationals, while only 12 percent go to Chinese nationals, who represent the second-largest beneficiary group.

"That tells you something's going on right there. Then there's a cap of only 85,000 H-1B visas, but somehow one district in India, the Madras (Chennai) district, got 220,000, two and a half times the cap Congress has set," stated the former Republican lawmaker.

The Chennai consulate is widely recognized as one of the world's busiest centers for H-1B visa processing, handling applications from four high-volume regions: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Telangana.

Brat connected the issue to the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement's anti-immigration stance, framing it as a direct threat to American workers' livelihoods. "When I say H-1B visa, you need to think of your cousins, your aunts and uncles, and your grandparents. One of these folks comes over and claims they're skilled; they're not. That's the fraud. They just took away your family's job, and your mortgage, and your house, and all that," he claimed.

Brat's comments followed recent allegations by Mahvash Siddiqui, an Indian-American diplomat who served at the Chennai consulate between 2005 and 2007. Siddiqui claimed that in 2024 alone, US officials processed thousands of non-immigrant visas, including 220,000 H-1Bs and 140,000 H-4s for their family members.

Siddiqui further alleged that many H-1B visas issued to Indians were fraudulent, based on fake employer letters, forged academic credentials, or proxy interviews for applicants who were not genuinely highly skilled as claimed. She also stated that certain locations in Hyderabad openly coached visa applicants and provided them with counterfeit employment letters and educational certificates.